Organization & Leadership
Message from the CEO
Welcome to Interlake-Eastern Regional Health Authority. At 61,000 km2, our region accounts for almost 10 per cent of the province geographically and 10 per cent of total population. Our uniqueness lies in the fact that we encompass Manitoba’s cottage country. In the summer, our population swells with cottage owners, campers and outdoor lovers drawn to the natural beauty that Manitoba’s lakes, rivers, forests and beaches have to offer.
The natural beauty of our region provides residents with the work life balance we’re all seeking in today’s busy lifestyles. It’s also the place that many Manitobans work towards spending their retirement years. No traffic jams, no parking issues, no exhaust fumes and the smell of spruce and pine or freshly cut hay, depending on where you go, are hallmarks of an Interlake-Eastern RHA lifestyle.
As an RHA, we’re striving to be recognized as a trusted health-care partner, providing sustainable, accessible, integrated, evidence-based care to improve health status and outcomes in all of our communities and achieve health equity across the region. We’re working with the province to ensure that our residents have a voice in health care and that all of our residents have access to their own health-care provider and integration into a primary health care network to address a range of health-care needs.
Our staff, physicians and volunteers make our RHA the place of comfort and care that it is. Along with our directors and community partners, we are committed to exploring the options that will make our delivery of health care all that it can be for our residents.
Corporate Office
233A Main Street
Selkirk, Manitoba
R1A 1S1
1-204-482-4300
info@ierha.ca
Leadership Team
Marion Ellis, RN, BN, MN
Chief Executive Officer
Marion has almost 30 years’ nursing leadership experience comprising 21 years of senior leadership experience including the positions of executive director of clinical services for the Northern RHA and vice president of acute care & chief nursing officer for the former Burntwood RHA. She began her nursing career in the United Kingdom, where she graduated with a diploma in nursing. In addition, she completed her BScN with distinction from Brandon University. Marion has also completed her master’s degree in nursing administration from the University of Manitoba. She has a proven reputation for establishing effective leadership and management teams, as well as engaging communities and staff in working towards improved health outcomes and safe patient care.
Photo coming soon.
Jeremy Buchner,,BSW, RSW (MB)
Implementation Lead – Clinical & Preventive Services Plan (CPSP)
Tanya Cheetham, RN, BN
Regional Lead, Health Services – Public Health, Acute Care and Chief Nursing Officer
Tanya has 25 years of nursing experience with 16 years in leadership roles. She has worked in tertiary, community and rural hospital settings. Prior to joining Interlake-Eastern RHA in 2017, Tanya was the program director of the surgery program at Concordia Hospital. She first served as Interlake-Eastern RHA’s director of health services for acute care, medicine, renal health and infection prevention and control. More recently her portfolio included surgical services.
Tanya brings to the chief nursing officer role a history of sustained engagement with nursing and frontline staff in creating practical solutions to the ever changing realities in the delivery of health care. She is committed to expanding that engagement and working with all colleagues across the health care system so that we can collectively find ways to support each other while sustaining services.
Dorothy Forbes, CPA
Regional Lead Corporate Services & Chief Financial Officer
Dorothy has 20 years of experience in the accounting field, including roles in the public accounting, agriculture and finance sectors. In 2011, she joined the health region as an analyst and moved into the regional director of financial services role within six months. During this time, she has led many projects within the region, including the amalgamation of both the finance and payroll departments during 2012 merger.
Isobel Greenwood
Acting Regional Lead Human Resources
Kate Hodgson, RN, BN
Regional Lead, Health Services – Community & Continuing Care
Kate has worked in the field of nursing for over 20 years. She joined Interlake-Eastern RHA in 2017 as regional director of acute care and also assumed the role of interim director of Selkirk Regional Health Centre. Prior to that, she was program director of emergency and critical care at Concordia Hospital. With emphasis on open communication, enhancing relationships and developing inter-professional teams, Kate is committed to promoting interdisciplinary patient-centered approaches to care.
Dr. Charles Penner, MD
Regional Lead, Medical Services & Chief Medical Officer
Dr. Penner was born in the Interlake region and lived the first several years of his life in Moosehorn. He is trained as a respirologist and intensivist and has spent his career practicing in Comox, Abu Dhabi and Brandon. He served as a chief medical officer in the former Brandon Regional Health Authority for seven years then, more recently, in an interim capacity for a six-month period in Prairie Mountain Health. He was inaugural associate dean for the Brandon satellite campus of the University Max Rady College of Medicine, a position he held from 2013 to 2022.
Photo coming soon.
Katherine Podaima
Regional Lead, Quality Patient Safety and Accreditation
Katherine has broad clinical experience across the continuum of care, in public health, long term care and acute care. Katherine served as director acute care emergency departments, Cancer Care services, acute care education for six years and prior to that was a clinical team manager. Katherine has extensive operational leadership experience and has demonstrated competencies in performance management at an individual and program level.
